Laser microdissection systems are often employed for processing, separating and/or obtaining of biological objects, in particular microscopically small objects.
There, areas of interest of a sample are cut out by means of the laser beam, for example a pulsed laser beam. The sample may be provided on a carrier, for example a sheet, which has a high absorption for the laser light used.
Optionally the cut-out area may be transported to a receiving container via laser-induced transport process. Properties of a cut line of such a cutting process, for example width of the cut line or freeness from interruptions of the cut lines depend on system parameters which are partially adjustable, for example laser parameters like a laser energy or a repetition rate of a pulsed laser or also other system parameters like a focus adjustment or a cutting speed caused by a movement of the object and/or of the laser beam. As different biological samples have different properties it is often necessary to adjust the system parameters for each sample or also for each series of similar samples. In this respect from applicant's EP 1 985 987 A2 a generic laser microdissection apparatus is known with which finding suitable systems parameters is facilitated by using a reference cut line.
However, it may occur that a user wants to change one of the parameters after finding a suitable combination of systems parameters. For example it is often easier to find suitable parameters with a low cutting speed. For the actual processing of samples for time reasons often a fast cutting speed is desirable or necessary. Conventionally, in such a case one or more system parameters have to be adjusted anew.
Therefore, there is a need for methods and apparatuses for laser microdissection in which the adjustment and/or changing of suitable system parameters is facilitated.